As a lifelong admirer of Arijit Singh’s enchanting voice and captivating performances, I wholeheartedly applaud the Bombay High Court’s decision to protect his personality rights from unauthorized AI manipulation. Having followed his journey from a small town in Murshidabad, West Bengal, to becoming one of India’s most celebrated singers, it warms my heart to see him stand up for his rights against those who seek to exploit his talent for commercial gain.
As an ardent admirer of Arijit Singh, I can’t help but share the latest development. The Bombay High Court has taken a decisive step to protect our beloved singer from misuse. They’ve issued an order preventing AI platforms from leveraging or exploiting Arijit’s personality rights. This protective measure extends to the removal of all related content, posts, and voice conversion tools associated with him. The court rightly recognized that celebrities like Arijit are at risk of unauthorized AI-generated content, which infringes upon their personal rights. It’s heartening to see such proactive steps being taken for our favorite artists!
Justice Riyaz Chagla issued the order in response to a lawsuit filed by Singh, represented by advocate Hiren Kamod, who sought to protect his personality rights. Singh requested an injunction against platforms that provide AI models or tools capable of synthesizing artificial sound recordings mimicking his voice.
Singh claimed that he found eight platforms, asserting they employed AI to imitate various aspects of his identity, such as his name, voice, singing style, likeness, persona, and other elements related to his personality. The court ruled in Singh’s favor, finding that he had presented a strong enough case to warrant an initial, temporary injunction without the other party’s presence.
In simpler terms, on July 26, 2024, Judge Riyaz Chagla expressed his worry about celebrities, especially performers like Singh, being exposed to unapproved AI-generated content. He stated, “What deeply disturbs this court is the fact that well-known personalities, particularly those in the entertainment industry such as the current plaintiff (Singh), are often targeted by unauthorized AI content, similar to some of the defendants in this case.”
As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but stress that while the privilege of free speech and self-expression opens up avenues for constructive criticism and commentary, it by no means grants an individual the right to misuse a beloved celebrity’s identity for their own commercial benefit.
The court confirmed that celebrities have the right to safeguard various aspects of their personal identities, including their names, visual representations, likenesses, voices, and signatures, against unauthorized commercial exploitation by others. Justice Chagla went on to assert that providing AI tools for voice conversion without a celebrity’s consent is a breach of their personality rights. He pointed out that these tools allow for the unauthorized duplication and alteration of a celebrity’s voice, an essential element of their identity and public image.
The judge emphasized that this form of technological abuse not only violates an individual’s freedom to manage and safeguard their image and voice, but it also weakens their power to prohibit the business and fraudulent use of their persona. These platforms, according to him, foster the production of fake audio recordings and videos that manipulate Singh’s identity and persona.
The court’s thorough decree highlighted that Singh is a well-known Indian vocalist and entertainer, boasting a substantial level of esteem and recognition. It underscored the fact that the diverse aspects of Singh’s character, such as his name, voice, likeness, image, and overall persona, are protected components under his personality rights and right to publicity.
Justice Chagla pointed out that the defendants were exploiting Singh’s unique characteristics for financial and personal advantage, without his consent. Furthermore, he stated that creating AI tools to imitate a celebrity’s voice without their permission infringes upon their right to personal identity.
In more recent times, Kamod’s advocate pointed out that Singh, originally from a quaint town in Murshidabad, West Bengal, intentionally declined opportunities for product endorsements and refrained from capitalizing on his personal characteristics commercially.
Through Legalis Partners, a legal action was initiated to safeguard Singh’s personal brand, including his name, voice, autograph, picture, caricature, visual representation, persona, and related elements, from being used or commercially exploited without authorization.
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2024-08-02 13:24